Key for tearing strip cans



July 14, 1936.

G. A. BARDET KEY FOR TEARING. STRIP CANS Filed March 2, 1935 [NVENTOR 6E0. fl Bn/eazr m N M T T A before the can contents is processed or cooked in Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oer-Ice KEY FOR TEARING srmr CANS George A. Bartlet, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to M. J. B. Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 2, 1935, Serial No. 9,040

' 1 Claim. (on. 220-52) This invention relates to imp ve in keys area is. definitely limited, especially with respect; o Opening a f that k known in e can to its overlapping or extending into the tearing industry as key opening cans, or tearing strip strip t,

C a d which y are C a a t ed by hav- More specifically stated, the invention resides 5 ing a shank portion that is slotted to receive the in th provision of a, relatively large opening in 5 t n ue nd f the t arin trip f the can n the shank of the key at a point between the slot about which shank the strip is wound in its reand the solder bearing area, of th k thereby moval from the can body. I to overcome the possibility of the solder being It s very desirable a keys o this kind be drawn along the shank of the key or entering into 19 individually attached to the cans so that when the tearing strip slot.

a a i fi the consumer, a key W11l be In accomplishing the above objects of the in- V ni ntly accessible for AS a general rule vention, I have provided the improved details of the ey are attached to the can ends be construction, the preferred forms of which are the ends are secured on to the bodies, or at least illustrated in t accompanying drawing h before the cans are filled. Seldom are the keys l5 attached to the cans after the cans have been Fjg 1 is an enlarged perspegtive i of a key packed and closed. It is especially desirable t0 constructed in accordance with the present inattach the keys prior to filling the cans since ventjm most keys are attached by solder or by welding Fig 2 is a View illustrating t key as tmy which requires an application of heat that would, tached t a end 11 in most instances, Scorch; to some extent Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the can end with otherwise damage the c contents which hthe key attached. pened to be in close contact with the heated area. R f rring more in detail to the drawjng When the keys are soldered to the can ends a designates in its entirety a key constructed "in accordance with the present invention and,

as here illustrated, is made from a single piece of round wire that is bent to form a loop 2 forming the handle portion of the key, and from which extends a straight shank portion 3. The shank is somewhat flattened in the plane of the handle and is formed with a longitudinal slot i for reception of the tearing strip tongue, and directly below the slot is an opening 5 of substantial size which separates the end area of the key from the 3 5 appreciable amwet for this purpose The usual s illfi s ti t efl fiest in Fig. 1, the opening 5 is fig gg gg ggg ggi l g igi g sg figifi g gi fi circular and it is centrally located with respect able flux, then to dip the fiuxed ends in molten to the opposite Side edges of the key shank and m solder so that the solder which clings to each inis spaced Somewhat Tom the lower end 9 the key dividual key may subsequently be melted to solder 9 i the end portmn may be upped t a g the keys to a can staiil tialdagnounft of solder; thlefisolder tip bemg In the past, difficulty in a l in some ke s m y re erence l to the tearing strip has been i zpirie nced due to m 2 the key 15 Illustrated as bemg M the fact that tm flux may be drawn by capillary attacned to w end wan 1 of f The 4 attraction, or otherwise,- along the key shank, body equipped Yvlth tearing Strip 9 having and then when the flu'xed end is dipped into the a tongue m to WhJFh the key 13 to be applied 1501 solder, its amnity for flux causes it to run along removal of the a the key shank to the same extent and this some- In Order to attach the present key t0 a can,

my times results in filling the tearing strip slot makthe IOWEI end portion 0f the Shank first pp d so ing it difficult or impossible to apply the key to in a s i a l fl x h n the end is ipp d into the tearing strip tongue, molten solder. A certain amount of solder clings In view of this above mentioned undesirable to the end of the key and hardens. Subseqeuntly result, it has been the object of this invention to the key is pressed against the end wall of a can m construct a key in a manner whereby the solder and heat is applied to the solder area, thereby 55 the sealed can, it is necessary to attach them very securely in order to prevent their being detached in the cooker; it being understood that the heat to some extent weakens the soldered connection 3g and also causes a certain outward bulging of the can ends whereby the keys are caused to be exposed and are caused to scrape against the cooker wall and-if not securely attached will be scraped ofl. Therefore, it has been found necessary, when keysare attached by solder, to apply quite an 2 aoemso causing the solder to melt and upon cooling to effect an attachment of the key to the can.

The particular advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the opening 5 formed through the key shank just below the slot 4 is of ample size to practically separate the lower end portion of the key shank from the slotted portion. Thus, even though the flux might be drawn along the shank to the slotted area, the opening 5 will prevent the solder following to the extent of the flux for the reason that the tendency of the solder to fill the opening will be greater than the tendency to flow up the key sha a When it isdesired to use the key for removal of the tearing strip, the user grasps the handle portion 2 of the key and pulls away from the can end wall, thereby breaking the key loose from the can. The key is then applied to the tongue to and the strip is removed in the usual manner.

It has been satisfactorily demonstrated that the provision of the opening 5 overcomes the (life ficulties and objections heretofore experienced due to the fiow of solder along the key shank and also, limits the amount of solder that is used.

While I have illustrated the key as being attached to the can end wall it is to be understood that it may be attached to the body wall or at any other location without departing from the spirit of the invention, also, the key might assume various forms other than that illustrated. The gist of the invention resides in the provision of an opening in the shank intermediate that portion that is to bear the solder and that containing the key slot to serve as a means of limiting the spread of the solder in the direction of the 'slot.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- A key of the chara ter described having a solder bearing area and having a slot for reception of the end of a tearing strip and an opening intermediate the slotand solder bearing area for limiting the run of molten solder in the direction of the slot.

GEORGE A. BARDW. 

